Having been edged out by Bordeaux last weekend, Claude Puel's men gave their European hopes a lift thanks to Nemanja Pejcinovic's first-half strike and an own goal from Brahim Ferradj which was originally credited to Camel Meriem.

The win lifts Nice up to fifth in the table, four points behind the top three, but it was a third successive defeat for Brest and they remain four points above the drop zone.

Rennes twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Lorient in a pulsating Brittany derby at the Stade de Moustoir.

Goals from Yann Jouffre and Jeremie Aliadiere were not enough for the hosts as they were twice pegged back with strikes from Mevlut Erding and youngster Axel Ngando. The result did little for either side's European ambitions but meant Lorient have suffered just one defeat at home all season.

Sloan Privat's injury-time header came back off the crossbar as St Etienne hung on for a 2-1 victory that keeps them firmly in the race for European football while putting further pressure on relegation-battling Sochaux.

St Etienne twice took the lead, Fabien Lemoine's powerful 76th minute shot restoring their advantage five minutes after Edouard Butin cancelled out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's first-half opener, but should have been out of sight only for Aubameyang to miss a late penalty.

That kept hope alive for Sochaux until Privat's header crashed back off the crossbar in the third minute of stoppage time.

The result leaves St Etienne in sixth, one point off fourth-placed Bordeaux, while Sochaux hover just two points above the drop zone.

Fabien Camus' opener on the half-hour mark put Jean-Marc Furlan's men on their way to back-to-back wins for the first time this season before 18-year-old Origi netted in the 74th minute.

The draw extends Lille's winless streak to four, leaving Rudi Garcia's side sitting in 11th place. Troyes remain in trouble, five points adrift of fourth-bottom Evian, but will be encouraged after a battling display.

Evian edged two points clear of the relegation zone after they grabbed a third successive draw, 0-0 at Bastia.

The hosts came closest to a winner just before half-time when Claudio Beauvue crashed a shot against the post. But in the end both seemed content for a point with edged Evian further away from danger while Bastia, who had lost their past two, are now six points above the drop zone.